Author Archives: Barbara Crane Navarro - Rainforest Art Project

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About Barbara Crane Navarro - Rainforest Art Project

I'm a French artist living near Paris. From 1968 to 1973 I studied at Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, Rhode Island, then at the San Francisco Art Institute in San Francisco, California, for my BFA. My work for many decades has been informed and inspired by time spent with indigenous communities. Various study trips devoted to the exploration of techniques and natural pigments took me originally to the Dogon of Mali, West Africa, and subsequently to Yanomami communities in Venezuela and Brazil. Over many years, during the winters, I studied the techniques of traditional Bogolan painting. Hand woven fabric is dyed with boiled bark from the Wolo tree or crushed leaves from other trees, then painted with mud from the Niger river which oxidizes in contact with the dye. Through the Dogon and the Yanomami, my interest in the multiplicity of techniques and supports for aesthetic expression influenced my artistic practice. The voyages to the Amazon Rainforest have informed several series of paintings created while living among the Yanomami. The support used is roughly woven canvas prepared with acrylic medium then textured with a mixture of sand from the river bank and lava. This supple canvas is then rolled and transported on expeditions into the forest. They are then painted using a mixture of acrylic colors and Achiote and Genipap, the vegetal pigments used by the Yanomami for their ritual body paintings and on practical and shamanic implements. My concern for the ongoing devastation of the Amazon Rainforest has inspired my films and installation projects. Since 2005, I've created a perfomance and film project - Fire Sculpture - to bring urgent attention to Rainforest issues. To protest against the continuing destruction, I've publicly set fire to my totemic sculptures. These burning sculptures symbolize the degradation of nature and the annihilation of indigenous cultures that depend on the forest for their survival.

In the heart of the tropical forest! – «Amazon Rainforest Magic The adventures of Meromi, a Yanomami girl» – For ages 8 to 12 to 100!  – written and illustrated by Barbara Crane Navarro – NOW ON KINDLE, TOO!

Posted on November 22, 2025 by Barbara Crane Navarro - Rainforest Art Project

« A Christmas present this year, we spread the telling of this story over several evenings, reading it out loud. Our 8-year-old son couldn’t wait to hear what would come next.  This subject matter was new for him, and he was … Continue reading →

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¡Un libro maravilloso, un tesoro verdaderamente imperdible! – « La Magia de la Amazonia Las aventuras de Namowë, un niño Yanomami » – ¡Para edades de 8 a 12 a 100 años! – escrito e ilustrado por Barbara Crane Navarro – ¡AHORA TAMBIÉN en KINDLE!

Posted on November 21, 2025 by Barbara Crane Navarro - Rainforest Art Project

« ¡Un libro maravilloso (y con un volumen compañero)!Los libros «La Magia de la Amazonia» son dos tesoros sobre los Yanomami, una tribu de la selva tropical.“Las aventuras de Nanowë, un niño Yanomami” y “Las aventuras de Meromi, una niña Yanomami” … Continue reading →

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Un livre merveilleux, un trésor à ne pas manquer ! – « La Magie de l’Amazonie, Les aventures de Meromi, une fille Yanomami » – Pour les 8 à 12 à 100 ans! – écrit et illustré par Barbara Crane Navarro – MAINTENANT sur KINDLE AUSSI !

Posted on November 20, 2025 by Barbara Crane Navarro - Rainforest Art Project

Les livres « La Magie de l’Amazonie » sont deux trésors sur les Yanomami, une tribu de la forêt tropicale.“Les Aventures de Nanowë, un garçon Yanomami” et “Les aventures de Meromi, une fille Yanomami” explorent toutes deux la magie de l’Amazonie à … Continue reading →

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A Wonderful book, a Treasure not to be missed! –  « Amazon Rainforest Magic The adventures of Meromi, a Yanomami girl » – For ages 8 to 12 to 100!  – written and illustrated by Barbara Crane Navarro – NOW ON KINDLE, TOO!

Posted on November 19, 2025 by Barbara Crane Navarro - Rainforest Art Project

« A wonderful book, (and it comes with a companion volume)! The « Amazon Rainforest Magic » books are two treasures about the Yanomami, a rainforest tribe.“The Adventures of Nanowë, a Yanomami boy” and “The adventures of Meromi, a Yanomami girl” both explore … Continue reading →

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¡Una historia llena de sentido para niños y adultos! – « La Magia de la Amazonia Las aventuras de Namowë, un niño Yanomami » – ¡Para edades de 8 a 12 a 100 años! – escrito e ilustrado por Barbara Crane Navarro – ¡AHORA TAMBIÉN en KINDLE!

Posted on November 18, 2025 by Barbara Crane Navarro - Rainforest Art Project

« La Magia de la Amazonia describe el viaje de un niño Yanomami a través de la selva amazónica para encontrar una cura para su hermana enferma. Encuentra animales y plantas parlantes que lo ayudan. El cuento está escrito en la línea … Continue reading →

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Une histoire significative pour les enfants et les adultes ! –  « La Magie de l’Amazonie Les aventures de Namowë, un garçon Yanomami » – Pour les 8 à 12 à 100 ans ! – écrit et illustré par Barbara Crane Navarro – MAINTENANT sur KINDLE AUSSI !

Posted on November 17, 2025 by Barbara Crane Navarro - Rainforest Art Project

« La Magie de l’Amazonie décrit le voyage d’un garçon Yanomami à travers la forêt tropicale amazonienne pour trouver un remède pour sa sœur malade. Il rencontre des animaux et des plantes parlant qui l’aident. Le conte est écrit dans la veine … Continue reading →

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A Meaningful Story for Children and Adults – « Amazon Rainforest Magic, The adventures of Namowë, a Yanomami boy » – For ages 8 to 12 to 100!  – written and illustrated by Barbara Crane Navarro – NOW ON KINDLE, TOO!

Posted on November 16, 2025 by Barbara Crane Navarro - Rainforest Art Project

« Amazon Rainforest Magic describes the journey of a Yanomami boy through the Amazon rainforest to find a cure for his sick baby sister. He encounters talking animals and plants who help him. The book is written in the vein of “The … Continue reading →

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Una fábula con un mensaje – « La Magia de la Amazonia Las aventuras de Namowë, un niño Yanomami » – ¡Para edades de 8 a 12 a 100 años! – escrito e ilustrado por Barbara Crane Navarro – ¡AHORA TAMBIÉN en KINDLE!

Posted on November 15, 2025 by Barbara Crane Navarro - Rainforest Art Project

« La Magia de la Amazonia nos lleva a un mundo que podría parecer fantástico, donde humanos, animales y plantas hablan entre sí, bromean y conspiran entre sí. Lo obvio es que los humanos no están por encima de otras criaturas. Todos … Continue reading →

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Une fable avec un message: « La Magie de l’Amazonie, Les aventures de Namowë, un garçon Yanomami » – Pour les 8 à 12 à 100 ans! – écrit et illustré par Barbara Crane Navarro – MAINTENANT sur KINDLE AUSSI !

Posted on November 14, 2025 by Barbara Crane Navarro - Rainforest Art Project

« La Magie de l’Amazonie nous fait pénétrer dans un monde qui pourrait sembler fantastique, où les êtres humains, les animaux et les plantes se parlent, plaisantent, conspirent entre eux. La chose évidente est que les humains ne sont pas au-dessus … Continue reading →

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A Fable with a Message –  « Amazon Rainforest Magic The adventures of Namowë, a Yanomami boy » – For ages 8 to 12 to 100!  – written and illustrated by Barbara Crane Navarro – NOW ON KINDLE, TOO!

Posted on November 13, 2025 by Barbara Crane Navarro - Rainforest Art Project

« Amazon Rainforest Magic presents a world that at first might seem whimsical, where people, animals, and plants joke, conspire, and argue with each other. The serious point is that humans are no more important than any of the other creatures – … Continue reading →

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